The Assassin and the Spy
by Angelhaggis
Summary: He had spent four years living a lie in a world where one wrong move could result in his death. Ari's story from his 'death' leading up to the events of 'The Star of David'. Will contain Ari, Monique, OC Yosef, Hadar, Eli David, Malachi, Liat and mentions of Ziva.
1. Kill Ari

**Although the timeline of this story is set before the events of my work 'The Star of David' it is a sequel and therefore it would make more sense to you, the reader, if you read the 'The Star of David' first.**

**This story contains content which some readers may find somewhat upsetting or distasteful and therefore my advice is to read on at your discretion. Several characters canon to the show make an appearance as well as my original character Yosef.**

**And so now all that is left to say is read on and I hope you enjoy...**

* * *

It was always going to end like this.

There had never been any doubt, no scepticism not even the faint ideal of survival.

He had known from the very beginning of the mission that sacrifices would have to be made and this was the inevitable conclusion. Ever since he first came across Gibbs he knew he was going to die. He had accepted it as a matter of fact; a predestined event which happened to all even if it was slightly early for someone of his age.

But there had never been any illusions that he was not going to die. This was how it was to be.

But when he died, like everything else in this battle of wills he had so willingly entered, he wanted it on his terms.

Ari Haswari waited patiently for his approaching death. He knew it was only a matter of minutes before Gibbs arrived in the basement and the last moves of their chess game would be played out. The novelty and dare he say, enjoyment of their game had long worn off. Like an athlete who knew he had lost his edge, his supremacy in the race proceedings, Ari just wanted it to be over. He was aware of the pain that such a moment would cause both for him and for Ziva, the sister he loved dearly, but he was ready.

Everything had been planned in minute detail and nothing could be allowed to go wrong now. In order for his mission in Hamas to succeed his cover had to be maintained-no matter the cost and the only way for that to be assured was his death.

Being half-Palestinian he had been the perfect choice to infiltrate the ranks of Hamas. Although he identified strongly with his Muslim half due to the bond he shared with his late mother, Israel was his homeland; the homeland of his friends and more significantly the homeland of his beloved sister. Israel was the country he had sworn to protect until death and thus he had seized the chance to become Mossad's most successful infiltrator- the one that infiltrated further than anybody before. He had never been an ambitious man, but the thought of him being responsible for the destruction of one of the greatest enemies of Israel was too much to pass over.

Deputy Director Eli David was a difficult man to interpret- in fact he was an enigma. It was impossible to determine at anytime what the man was thinking and he had many motives for the actions which, although would seem spontaneous such as his orders, he had secretly planned and prepared every move like a chess grandmaster. Ari had never been particularly close to his father- only maintaining the relationship for the sake of his sister who worshipped the very ground Eli walked on and who was willing to do anything to please her father- a trait Ari was about to take advantage of.

Ari had no doubt that much of his upbringing which had led him down the path of accepting the mission was a result of Eli's careful planning and machinations. Over the course of his life Ari had seen many parts of his father; some good, others not but there was one thing that was ever reliable with the Mossad Deputy Director and that was his ambition to see the destruction of all enemies of Israel and one man in particular. A man who was responsible for tearing apart their family and who both men and Ziva were determined to destroy.

And over his many years of being operational on behalf of Mossad, Ari had learned that the best way to assure this was a successful infiltration of a terrorist organization that could gain him such access. And that, Ari was near certain, was Eli's main motivation for ordering his son to become a member of Hamas.

The mission had been successful to begin with- Ari had passed the Hamas initiations and had quickly became a trusted member, rising up the ranks to become a cell leader and gaining a reputation of utter ruthlessness and infamy, thereby cementing his transition from Officer Haswari of the Mossad to Ari Haswari- the international terrorist. He allowed himself a smirk at this thought. Ari had enjoyed his new life and the ruthless reputation that came with it and he especially enjoyed his entanglement with NCIS and of course his game with the mighty Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And that was where he had made his mistake.

He had become too reckless in his game and as a result he had lowered his guard long enough for Hamas to become suspicious and an innocent woman had died in the crosshairs. It was imperative that he disappeared from NCIS's sights.

And now he found himself awaiting his death. His cover had to be maintained no matter the cost; his country's future was at stake as was Ziva's life. And there was more to it- a promise he had sworn to Ziva, a promise of getting revenge on those who had taken their family from them and the only way to achieve this aim was through gaining contacts in Hamas. He had to maintain his cover and that was why he needed to die.

Ari knew that his father had convinced Ziva he was rogue and although it broke his heart to lie to her, it was for the best and he knew that Ziva was under orders to kill him. For the lie to work, Ziva had to be the one to pull the trigger. She had to believe he was dead in order to protect herself and to ensure a new start to her life without the fear of his enemies targeting her in order to get to him. This was the way it had to be. For Ziva's sake. His death would allow her a new life; a safer life, away from the death and violence of the Mossad and more importantly away from any chance of crossing the paths of Hamas.

Breaking from his thoughts, he stiffened at the sound of the front door opening upstairs and the sound of approaching footsteps. He knew Ziva would not be too far behind.

Savouring his last breaths before the final confrontation, Ari thought to his sister, _I am sorry little sister. Stay safe. I'll miss you. Goodbye._

Ari watched as Gibbs entered the basement and unlocked then opened the drawer in the cabinet, visibly flinching as he noticed the rifle was gone. It was now or never.

'You looking for this, Jethro?'

Gibbs spun around, sagging in what Ari knew not to be shock but relief.

'I want you to know, I wish I hadn't had to shoot Caitlin.'

'Why did you?'

'To cause you pain.' He stated simply.

'I piss you off that much?' Gibbs's voice was cold.

Ari maintained his cold glare, again speaking simply. 'Not you.' He couldn't help but shift his gaze as he spoke the truth. 'My father. You have the misfortune of reminding me of the bastard.'

'Ah...' Gibbs breathed in realisation. 'He didn't marry your mother, huh?'

Such comments no longer fazed Ari, and so he ignored it.

'That's what makes me a bastard, not him.' He paused for a moment, biting down forbidden memories and instead concentrating on his mission. 'From the moment of my birth, he groomed me to be one thing: his mole in Hamas. Sent me to Edinburgh to become a doctor, so I could work in the Gaza camps alongside my mother. When he had her killed, I had no trouble joining the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam.'

When he spoke, Gibbs's voice was filled with obvious disbelieve. 'You don't really believe your father had your mother killed?'

Yes he did believe it but he would never voice it in front of Ziva. His mother and Ziva had met only once, when Ziva was three and Ari had been looking after her. He had taken her with him to Gaza on a scheduled visit. Although at first wary of one another, his mother had soon taken a liking to Ziva and Ziva to her. He remembered the immense feeling of relief, knowing that the meeting had been a success and he remembered his mother's pride over his protectiveness of Ziva.

He forced himself to stay focused.

'It was a retaliatory Israeli strike, on a day I was in Tel Aviv, visiting him. After decades of planning, the bastard had his mole in Hamas. He never knew how much I hated him.' He ground his teeth as he spoke the truth, knowing how much it would hurt Ziva. 'I wish I could see his face when he realizes he created not a mole but a monster, eager to strike at the heart of Mossad and Israel.' He maintained an emotionless front as he said the last part knowing how very much that was a lie.

'Yeah, I almost feel sorry for you.' Ari could almost hear compassion in his voice.

'And I for you.' He eased himself up, clutching the rifle. Gibbs edged away from him, purposefully drawing him into the line of fire for Ziva. Only moments were left. He prayed that Ziva would take the shot just as he had been ordered; straight in the heart.

'When Ziva told me you were placing flowers on the roof where Caitlin died, I couldn't believe it. Such a romantic touch. Almost too good to pass up.' He smirked. 'Almost.'

'Why did you?'

'I need you to commit suicide with your own rifle. You never did give me enough credit in our game. I knew it was a trap before Ziva told me you asked her to cover you. You'd never trust Ziva.'

But Ari knew Gibbs already did. Ziva was trustworthy; she would put everybody else before her. She was loyal to almost a fault and it would one day prove to be her downfall. Gibbs glanced behind him; a movement Ari knew was to check if Ziva was there. He dared not look up, no matter how much he wanted to. Seeing her face would weaken his resolve incredibly.

'And you need to kill me, to taste the sweetness of revenge.' He raised the rifle. It was time.

'I've killed enough men in my life, Ari. It's going to be just as sweet watching you die.'

That was the signal. Gibbs sat down on the edge of the steps, staring at him, knowing he would be dead in a few seconds.

The corner of Ari's lips curled up; 'Sorry to spoil your...'

The last thing Ari heard was his grunt as the force as bullet crashed into his chest and then there was nothing. He lay there, unhearing and unseeing as Ziva walked down the stairs, never tearing her eyes away from his prone body as shock overtook her. Ziva stood over her beloved brother, offering prayers through her sobs as the event which had just occurred began to sink in:

Ari Haswari was dead.


	2. Meragel

**Meragel- Spy**

Ari had lost track of the time that had passed since his death. Now all his energy and time were dedicated to living a lie and as a result he had become too immersed in his mission to have time to ponder such life-changing circumstances. Memories of the aftermath of the shooting were blurred. The clean up team, led by Officer Amit Hadar, had revived him from unconsciousness before whisking him away on an earlier flight from the one Ziva travelled on; accompanying to Israel a coffin which was leaden with stones to mimic his weight. Once certain Ziva believed his cover, he had returned to Hamas; continuing to infiltrate deeper and deeper into their evil ranks.

Regular updates from Hadar were not enough to satisfy his concern about Ziva. He knew that she was now settling at NCIS as Mossad liaison, following her successful mission in the UK. He was pleased that she had a new life but it failed to rid him of his guilt and regret about what he had inflicted upon her. But such sacrifices were for the greater good of Israel and for anti-terrorism operations in general.

So far his gamble had paid off; Hamas truly believed that he was a mole. Another man- a man responsible for detonating explosives on a tour bus full of Israelis in Eastern Europe- had instead become suspected and Ari, along with his comrade Khamil, had been dispatched to deal with him and soon the man found himself with a bullet buried in his brain.

A part of Ari-no doubt inherited from his mother- was horrified by his brutality and ruthlessness, but an equal part of him was honoured to execute a man who had committed atrocities against his people. Ari Haswari had never had much moral belief, despite his training as a doctor, due to the terror and suffering he had frequently witnessed during his childhood but Ari already knew that his new life as a Hamas terrorist would push his ethics and beliefs to the very extreme. With each passing day he sacrificed a little more of his humanity.

He had fallen deeper into the heart of Hamas than any spy had managed before. Having attended training camps at the start of his infiltration, he had quickly been promoted up the ranks and soon found himself a conspirator in terror plots to target the heart of Israel and to exact revenge on those suspected in the Palestinian territories of harbouring sympathy towards the Israeli state. A lot of the time he was involved in training or coordinating cells, but occasionally he would be involved in the most secretive of plots. During such debriefs it had taken all his willpower not to show horror at what was planned. Although he had some sympathies towards the Palestinian Cause due to his experiences working as a doctor in the Gaza camps, the thought of the destruction and devastation such acts of terror would cause, sickened him.

Despite his new life being intended to bring vital intelligence to Israel in her war against Hamas, Ari had to be careful in limiting the amount and choosing what to pass on. Naturally any concerning a potentially devastating attack with high casualties would immediately be passed on to Hadar, but Ari knew that if Hamas were thwarted too many times then they would become too suspicious and his cover would inevitably be blown. He was good at covering his tracks; after all he had been trained by the best and he had fooled both his sister and the mighty Leroy Jethro Gibbs into believing he was in fact dead.

In his world there was no black and white; indeed there was no one shade of grey and although mistakes had been made and Israeli lives lost- including that of a comrade undercover in Gaza- he could not allow himself to dwell on it. He had a mission that was vital to the survival of Israel, and nothing could be allowed to interfere.

* * *

Month after month passed and Ari Haswari excelled in Hamas. He had travelled across the Middle East and further afield into both Europe and Asia, on orders from Hamas and the Mossad as he juggled both his lives.

It had now been over a year and a half since he had died and still, despite his new dangerous life as a terrorist, it had not yet sunk in that he could never see Ziva again. The infrequent updates from Hadar about Ziva had continued; documenting the cases she worked on as an NCIS agent, as well as her budding relationships with her new team. Hadar had also informed him of Ziva's involvement in the assassination of an enemy of Israel, orchestrated by Namir Eschel, a man whom Ari had respected and trusted. Ari's brotherly protectiveness had flared up then and he had been infuriated that he could do nothing to aid his sister.

However, this was the realities of his new life. What for most people would be regarded as sickening, inhumane and evil acts had become the norm for him and Ari barely even registered each kill he performed. To him, they were justice- a way of getting revenge on those who were enemies against Israel. After all, death was a normal part of life and in the great scheme of things, did it really matter that some people's passing was sped up? Of course the real answer was yes, but in the warped world Ari now inhabited, it was a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

Another bullet; another bomb it mattered no more.

* * *

Daylight was about to break when Ari sneaked into the small house in Gaza. It was still quiet in the neighbourhood although a few people were already up, beginning their day's work. The house in which he had broken into belonged to a man called Ibrahim who was an expert bomb maker: a man responsible for devices which had killed hundreds of people in Israel and across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

He was a man with the blood of hundreds on his hands.

Ari, along with Khamil and another associate, Mohammad, had met Ibrahim the previous day and had arranged for him to design a bomb which would be planted in a bus transporting Israeli children to and from school. Ari had contacted Yosef Rosenberg, his old school friend and now Mossad comrade who had alerted Hadar about this plan. Yosef had trained alongside Ari and specialised in the infiltration of terrorist networks. For all intents and purposes, he had become Ari's handler- a situation Ari was pleased about as he could rely on and trust Yosef with the delicacies of his infiltration of Hamas and in his search for the Scorpions.

It took only an hour for the orders to reach him to take out Ibrahim: orders which for once Ari had no problem following. Silently and stealthily, Ari manoeuvred himself through the home. By the lack of sound or movement it was safe to presume that his target was still in bed. He knew from his visit that Ibrahim had no wife; no children- therefore there were no witnesses. He pushed the door open slightly; sure enough the man lay asleep on his bed. Ari took out his silenced weapon. One shot in the head was all that was needed to end the bombmaker's life.

Another bullet; another body. Another job well done in the eyes of Director David and it was back to base for Ari.

And so it continued- day after day, immersing himself deeper and deeper into the life of an international terrorist.

* * *

**A rather dark chapter but one that offers insight in Ari's mind during his mission. Feedback always appreciated.**


End file.
